Welcome to Phantasy Star Online! If you didn't already know, Phantasy Star Online is the very first online console RPG, for the Sega Dreamcast. In this game, you create your character, building him or her up into a fighting machine. You can go on adventures with your friends, or even people that you've never met! As your characters become stronger, you can progress further into the world, uncovering the mysteries of Ragol. This site has been created for the players of Phantasy Star Online, with hints and tips for people new to the game, and a message board for everyone to post on, so playing PSO with your friends can be easily organised.

One of the main problems with the PSO, is the cost of playing it. You have to pay per minute at local rates, which can mean extended play online becomes impossible unless you like to pay massive phone bills. Thanks to DigiApe, there is a solution! Here is the part from the news story on DigiApe, which explains how to do it:

"Well, many of you may already be suffering from Phantasy Star Online inflicted phone bill disorder. Well, here's the info on how to use a free, unmetered ISP to surf the net with your Dreamcast!

What you need:

1. Get a US Internet browser disc

2. Sign up for an unmetered dial up ISP on your PC

Now, delete your Dreamcast's internal memory (by using the browser disc, anyone will do) and stick in the US Browser disc. You may need a boot disc to get it to work first.

You'll be asked if you want to use AT&T, or a local ISP. Choose to use a local ISP. Now go to the Internet settings select screen.

Now enter your unmetered ISP accounts username and password (for example, freeserve users might enter name.fsnet.co.uk as a username). I think there's a limit of 24 characters on the username when you input it on the Dreamcast however, so if you've got a long username, you could be totally screwed.

Now, enter your dial up number. Leave the area code section blank, and put the whole number into the dialup number box (eg: 16164208452402620 is the freeserve dialup).

Leave the DNS server settings blank.

Now dial up to the Internet with your Dreamcast - it should work. Note, you won't be able to access Dreamarena, and you won't be able to play games such as Quake 3 online - it only works for Phantasy Star Online, Chu Chu Rocket, and general Internet access. Also, you're likely to have a 2 hour cut off point (so plan this around your PSO games) and Internet access may take multiple dialups during peak hour. You might even experience abit more lag than usual.

But hey, it'll let you play Phantasy Star Online unmetered, and surely that alone is worth it!"

Thanks so much to DigiApe for that! Now, no excuse for playing the best online RPG out today!